The Daily News Publishing Co. announced it has acquired The Hamilton County Herald, a 102-year-old Chattanooga-based paper of record that adds another holding to the newspaper properties the Memphis-based company now owns across the largest markets in Tennessee.
The company’s acquisition of The Herald creates an editorial and advertising network that now, in addition to Chattanooga, spans the company’s home market of Memphis – where it’s operated since 1886 – in addition to Nashville and Knoxville. The latter are covered by localized versions of another company-owned paper, the Nashville Ledger and Knoxville Ledger.
“The Herald is a natural fit with our other papers in Tennessee,” said Eric Barnes, publisher and CEO of The Daily News. “With its tremendous reputation, extensive reach in the local business community, and long history in Chattanooga, The Herald gives us a great opportunity to expand our reach in Tennessee.”
While readers of The Herald should notice few changes initially, The Daily News is planning enhancements that include a redesigned and expanded website and an expansion of the paper’s social media presence. Over time, an email edition like those the company publishes in Memphis and Nashville will also be added.
Meanwhile, the acquisition of The Herald also represents an opportunity for the company to share some content across its papers statewide. Coverage of the Tennessee Legislature, for example, will be included in The Herald, along with some sports coverage related to major teams in the state.
“We now have printed distribution and editorial coverage encompassing 75 percent of the state’s population,” Barnes said. “What we don’t want, however, is for the papers to in any way become generic. Some stories make sense to be shared across the papers. Most do not. That’s as it should be. These are local papers that need to stay attuned to the local interests of each individual paper’s readers.”
The Daily News Publishing Co. now publishes five newspapers in Tennessee, each in print and carrying a digital presence.
The Daily News, a daily paper covering business, politics, the arts, sports and the community, and a sister weekly publication – The Memphis News – cover Memphis. The Nashville Ledger is a weekly publication covering community, business and politics throughout the greater Nashville area. The Knoxville Ledger is a community newspaper distributed throughout the Knoxville area, and The Hamilton County Herald covers the legal profession, real estate, and community affairs in Chattanooga.
The Daily News Publishing Co. also owns Chandler Reports, a real estate information service for professionals and individuals, including in-depth data for Memphis and Nashville.